Apparatus for feeding cartridges to machine-guns.



L; L. DRIGGS. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES TO MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY I5, 1916! Patented May 1, 1917.

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L. L. BRIGGS. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGES T0 MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICA HON FlLED IULY15, 1916- 1,224,366. Patented May 1, 191-7.

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I LOUIS L.'-DRIGGS, on NEW YORK, 1\T.;Y.

APPARATUS ron FEEDING CARTRIDGES To MAcHINE-Gims.

I To all'whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, LOUIS L. Dnieesfa citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and .State of New York, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Cartridges to Machine-Guns;

and I do hereby declare the following to .be and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. Y

Mypresent invention relates especially to 1 I apparatus used in guns ofthe type of one inchcaliber or thereabout, although the apparatus is adapted to use with smaller car-v tridges as well as larger.

My invention relates especially to i that type of feeding device in which the cartridges are contained in a clip, and are held in place by resilient springs provided on' Y, the clip, and fed into the gun by tripping one of said springs and allowing the car- I tridgesto be fed to the gun under the action of gravity.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which: I

Figure 1 shows a section through the upper part of the hopper of the gun showing the clip inserted therein, the section being along the line 1,-1 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the'arrows.

Fig. 2 shows a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, 1 parts being broken away in both figures.

Fig. 3'is a detail view showing the de- .tachable liner for the shell slide, parts being broken away. I

Fig. l is a plan view of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows a front view. Fig. 6 shows a side elevation of the clip before the cartridges are inserted therein.

Fig. 7 shows a section along the 'line7-7 in Fig. 5, and looking down.

. Fig. 8 is a detail showing one of the clip springs used for holding the cartridges in the clip; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are details showing the cam piece for camming open the clip spring,

Fig. 9 showing a rear view and Fig. l0 a side elevation of said cam piece.

, A represents the hopper which is applied to the gun in. the usual way, nd is provided Specification of Letters Patent.

with the usual'guide slots a forIguiding the rims of the cartridge cases as the projectile is fed to the gun. These guide slots maybe preferably reinforced by a hard metal liner B having the flangesb and lips I as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

, Patented May 1, 1917'. Application filed July 15, 191a. Seria1No.109,59 0.

C represents the. clip, the body portion of I which is composedof a single sheet of metal, preferably pressed steel,which is rolled and pressed tothe desired form shown in Figs.

5, 6 and? The bottom 1 of the. plate flanged outward as at 2, see Fig.7, to form longitudinal stiffening ribs, and also to..pr.ovide a groove 3 in which the primer of the cartridge case is held clear from any possible contact with the thin metalwall of the clip. The sheet is'flanged at right angles, as at 4, and provided with overhanging lips 5', thus forming I guide grooves .6 for the rim'of the cartridge case. Attached to each end of the clip at the rear thereof, 1- provide a spring. D having the bent over end (i normally closing the end of the slots 6. This spring is provided with laterally projectingea'rs d, adapted to engage the cam plece E, as hereinafter described. These springs may be secured to the bottomv of the clip in any convenient way, as by welding, or by means of the rivets 0Z passing through the apertures 0Z in the spring D and through the holes? in the base of theiclip.

It will be seen that these springs will normally tend" to spring into' the position in Fig. 6, and to close the ends of the slots 6, thus holding the cartridges securely in the clip. These springs are preferably symmetrically disposed at opposite ends of the clip, so that the clip may be fed into. the

' hopper from either end without requiring the loader to stop to think which end should go first. I

When the clip'is placed in thehopper for the loading position, the ears d on the lower spring of the clip engage the cam faces 6 onthe arms 6 of the cam piece E,

and the spring assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, opening the end-of the clip and allowing the cartridges to fall by gravity therefrom.v I

This cam piece E is secured in the hopper in any convenient way, as bymeans of bolts or rivets e passing through the bolt holes .6

By making the clips of pressed sheet metal, they can be manufactured very cheaply; and by having the flanges 2 and groove 3 in the bottom of the clip, there is not only additional rigidity added to the clip, but the primer is held clear of the bottom of the clip and thus protected against accidental explosion.

lVhile the guide grooves 6 for the rim of the cartridge case may be made just deep enough to fit the axial length of the rim of the cartridge case, I prefer to make these grooves deep enough to permit the overlapping of the rims of the cartridge cases as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 7 whereby it is possible to shorten the clip for the same number of cartridges, and the cartridges are held more firmly in the clip when the latter is not in the gun.

It will be obvious that various modifica tions might be made in the herein described apparatus and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1-. A cartridge clip comprising a body portion made of a single strip of sheet metal having an outwardly projecting trough along the central longitudinal axis thereof, the said trough beinorectangular in cross section so that its sides may form stiffening ribs for the clip, and its hollow portion may mask the primer of the cartridge, the said body portion being also provided with guide grooves at each side thereof, said guide grooves being also rectangular in cross section whereby additional stiffening ribs are provided for the sides of said clip, and leaf springs secured .to the exterior of said rectangular trough, said springs having lips projecting inward in the path of the rims of the cartridge cases, substantially as described.

2. A cartridge clip comprising a body portion made of a single strip of sheet metal having an outwardly projecting trough along the central longitudinal axis thereof, the said trough being rectangular in cross section so that its sides may form stiffening ribs for the clip, and its hollou portion may mask the primer of the cartridge, the said body portion being also provided with guide grooves at each side thereof, said guide grooves being also rectangular in cross section whereby additional stiffening ribs are provided for the sides of said clip, said guide grooves being of sufficient depth to receive the overlapping rims of adjacent cartridge cases held in said clip, and leaf springs secured to the exterior of said rectangular trough, said springs having lips projecting inward in the path of the rims of the cartridge cases, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for feeding cartridges to guns comprising a hopper provided with guide grooves for the rims of the cartridge cases, a cartridge clip having grooved sides adapted to register with the guide grooves in the hopper, said clip also having a channeled bottom adapted to mask the primers of the cartridge cases, leaf springs secured to the channeled bottom of said clip and having lips projecting in front of said grooves in the clip, said springs being provided with laterally projecting ears, and a U-shaped cam piece mounted in said hopper and having wedged faces adapted to engage the cars of one of said springs and to withdraw said spring, thus opening that end of the clip, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

LOUIS L. DRIGGS Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

